TRIBUTES have poured in for “the voice of cricket” Christopher Martin-Jenkins who died from cancer yesterday aged 67.

The father-of-three and former president of Marylebone Cricket Club was described as “a true gentleman” and “one of the sport’s most respected writers and broadcasters”.

ECB chairman Giles Clarke said: “Cricket has lost one of its greatest champions. Christopher was a supremely talented broadcaster and writer, a fount of knowledge about cricket both past and present.

“These qualities made him an excellent president of MCC and he was a man of great integrity.”

Ex-England all-rounder and current broadcaster Sir Ian Botham said on Twitter: “Very sad to hear of the death of the ‘Major’... Christopher Martin Jenkins. Our thoughts are with the family. A true gentleman.”

MCC president Mike Griffith said: “CMJ will be sorely missed. We at MCC share the sadness of the cricketing world that his live commentaries will never be heard again.”

Jonathan Wall, acting controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “He was a master of the art of radio commentary – picture painting, a lovely clear voice, pauses in the right places and great warmth and wit.”

Born in Peterborough, Martin-Jenkins joined the BBC as part of the Test Match Special team in 1973 having had a modest cricketing career that peaked with a 99 for Marlborough at Lord’s.

He worked as the BBC’s cricket correspondent twice, firstly between 1973 and 1980 and secondly from 1985 to 1991, while also commentating on the network’s TV coverage between 1981 and 1985.

Martin-Jenkins had stints as cricket correspondent at the Daily Telegraph and Times and wrote numerous books about the sport.